The just lil dings they did not seem to be hurt to bad. I do think Kobe showing signs of wearing down. He has not had the same form when he shoots and late in games he is way off. Kobe has so much talent around him I never understood why he shotts so many shots.

Kobe is a fierce competitor. But he's human and is playing with a slew of injuries, one major. He should have shut it down last year and gotten an operation on his finger but he didn't want to take any time off.

As for Kobe having a huge ego--name me a super star who doesn't have an ego? Whether he/she be a celebrity or sports figure. Does anyone not believe that Paul Pierce, "Bron" James or Carmelo Anthony don't have egos?

Kobe can't practice with the team because of a seriously damaged knee that has little to no cartilage left (it's bone on bone). Yet, he gives it his all in spite of the fact that he shoots far too often. Knowledgeable L.A. fans respect Kobe's competitiveness and contributions to championships but are critical when he goes off on his own. His shooting percentage is off because of that lack of practice time. That being said, I'm glad that Kobe is a Laker and not on another team.

As for the rape accusation on this board, I guess that's what some opposing fans need to use as another way of denigrating a great player from an opposing team. That case was thrown out by the judge because there was no case against Bryant. Only the real haters will continue to erroneously believe that Kobe raped a woman who had semen samples from multiple men when given a physical and waited days after the encounter to charge rape. That's probably the most emotionally charged accusation that a white woman accuses a black man of-- RAPE. If Kobe were a rapist, there would have already been other women coming out charging him with such behavior. If the evidence was air-tight, does anyone believe that this case would not have gone forward? The primary accusor's credibility was shot.

Normally I keep my comments strictly about basketball, so I'm going to make my two cents quick about Kobe, specifically the rape accusation. I speak simply as a woman, a white woman yes, but I have no control over that. I'd like to think that if I were a black woman I would feel the same way...

First of all, let me state the obvious: No one but Kobe and the woman in question knows what really happened or didn't happen in that Colorado hotel room. When we make our arguments, it comes down to who we believe. I happen to believe the young lady, and if I have any bias it's because I am female, not because of my race. Legally speaking, the false reporting rate for rape is about 2%, which is equal to or lower than that for other violent crimes. There are exceptions to every rule, but the woman who makes such false accusations is extremely rare. And nearly every woman can understand the reasons why: From girlhood, we live with the knowledge that this can happen to us. For most of us, it is the worst nightmare we could possibly imagine. For this reason, we look over our shoulders while walking outside at night and consider carrying pepper spray to a first date with a new man. The fear of rape and its aftermath is a very deeply ingrained part of the female psyche. Many women would rather be murdered than raped, and this is mainly due to the stigma that gets universally attached to rape victims/survivors - you know, the whole damaged goods perception. For most, if not all of us, all the money in the world is not worth the humiliation and the fear that the people we love, not to mention the world, would never look at us the same again. That is why there are laws protecting such women from having their names made public - which were all breached in the Kobe case. Look the case up on Wikipedia and you'll see this girl's name, along with every skeleton in her closet - some of which Rsalas alluded to in his post. Again, no money in the world would be worth it to most women. Yes, I realize there are exceptions but we are talking tiny, tiny percentages here. Ditto for the all the death threats she got. Nearly every woman knows that if she accuses a rich, powerful, enormously popular man of violence, the playing field will be so unlevel it may as well be vertical. Again, why would a woman go through all that if nothing happened?

My personal opinion is that something did happen, though I'm willing to give Kobe the benefit of the doubt in that he may have sincerely believed she was consenting. This is where self-entitlement comes in: Perhaps he didn't hear her because he didn't want to hear her, didn't think it mattered if he heard her. But it's not just him. So many rape cases are like that, and neither person's life is ever the same again.

Keep in mind, only the two of them know what really happened. And that is common for most rape cases as well. No witnesses. So the stars would have to line up perfectly for any such case to be airtight. It rarely happens. That's why the conviction rate is still - I believe - lower than for any other violent crime. Simple lack of evidence. That's different from the woman having no credibility. As for her not reporting the crime until a couple days later, statistically speaking that is actually a quick turn-around time. Most women never come forward and many vascillate for such a long time about whether they have it in them to endure the grilling and humiliation, that they wait longer than a few days. The sad thing is, I think the Kobe case may have reinforced some of these fears in other women. Just a hunch, haven't checked THOSE stats lately, but common sense would say that what that girl had to endure may have had a chilling effect on some others.

I guess what I am calling for, overall, is a little sensitivity on both sides. I believe Kobe's shown enough selfishness and self-entitlement that there's no need to play the Colorado card. And this is coming from someone who believes he did it. But what I'm mainly responding to is the position that the woman involved was outright lying. No one knows that for a fact, and there are compelling arguments that support her - or that at least support her contention that *something* happened. That this, at the very least, is a teachable moment, an argument for good judgment, sexual respect and communicative sexuality. That, if Kobe were not so marketable in other ways, this would be a cloud hanging over him for a long, long time.

I still think we're timing our run well for the play offs. Still the way things are currently I can't even predict what team will win the title this season. Spurs may well come first in the West. But I don't think they're the best team in the West.

How Kobe gets even mentioned in the same breath as MJ, Larry & Magic is beyond me. Yes, he scores lots of points but that doesnt make you the greatest player. He also misses tons of shots and takes perhaps the worse shots in the NBA. He just cant help himself from chucknig up an off balance, hand in the face fall away jumper from 3 feet behind the 3point line... cause when he makes 2 of 12, they'll be on ESPN highlights and the announcers will be faening all over him.

His FG% in the clutch is poor... he gagged in the finals last year, especially game 7 when Phil told him STOP SHOOTING!! Yet, NBA marketing trumps all of that and Kobe got another MVP.

For those who can see & think for themsleves, Kobe not on the same level as the greats.

Normally I keep my comments strictly about basketball, so I'm going to make my two cents quick about Kobe, specifically the rape accusation. I speak simply as a woman, a white woman yes, but I have no control over that. I'd like to think that if I were a black woman I would feel the same way... First of all, let me state the obvious: No one but Kobe and the woman in question knows what really happened or didn't happen in that Colorado hotel room. When we make our arguments, it comes down to who we believe. I happen to believe the young lady, and if I have any bias it's because I am female, not because of my race. Legally speaking, the false reporting rate for rape is about 2%, which is equal to or lower than that for other violent crimes. There are exceptions to every rule, but the woman who makes such false accusations is extremely rare. And nearly every woman can understand the reasons why: From girlhood, we live with the knowledge that this can happen to us. For most of us, it is the worst nightmare we could possibly imagine. For this reason, we look over our shoulders while walking outside at night and consider carrying pepper spray to a first date with a new man. The fear of rape and its aftermath is a very deeply ingrained part of the female psyche. Many women would rather be murdered than raped, and this is mainly due to the stigma that gets universally attached to rape victims/survivors - you know, the whole damaged goods perception. For most, if not all of us, all the money in the world is not worth the humiliation and the fear that the people we love, not to mention the world, would never look at us the same again. That is why there are laws protecting such women from having their names made public - which were all breached in the Kobe case. Look the case up on Wikipedia and you'll see this girl's name, along with every skeleton in her closet - some of which Rsalas alluded to in his post. Again, no money in the world would be worth it to most women. Yes, I realize there are exceptions but we are talking tiny, tiny percentages here. Ditto for the all the death threats she got. Nearly every woman knows that if she accuses a rich, powerful, enormously popular man of violence, the playing field will be so unlevel it may as well be vertical. Again, why would a woman go through all that if nothing happened? My personal opinion is that something did happen, though I'm willing to give Kobe the benefit of the doubt in that he may have sincerely believed she was consenting. This is where self-entitlement comes in: Perhaps he didn't hear her because he didn't want to hear her, didn't think it mattered if he heard her. But it's not just him. So many rape cases are like that, and neither person's life is ever the same again. Keep in mind, only the two of them know what really happened. And that is common for most rape cases as well. No witnesses. So the stars would have to line up perfectly for any such case to be airtight. It rarely happens. That's why the conviction rate is still - I believe - lower than for any other violent crime. Simple lack of evidence. That's different from the woman having no credibility. As for her not reporting the crime until a couple days later, statistically speaking that is actually a quick turn-around time. Most women never come forward and many vascillate for such a long time about whether they have it in them to endure the grilling and humiliation, that they wait longer than a few days. The sad thing is, I think the Kobe case may have reinforced some of these fears in other women. Just a hunch, haven't checked THOSE stats lately, but common sense would say that what that girl had to endure may have had a chilling effect on some others. I guess what I am calling for, overall, is a little sensitivity on both sides. I believe Kobe's shown enough selfishness and self-entitlement that there's no need to play the Colorado card. And this is coming from someone who believes he did it. But what I'm mainly responding to is the position that the woman involved was outright lying. No one knows that for a fact, and there are compelling arguments that support her - or that at least support her contention that *something* happened. That this, at the very least, is a teachable moment, an argument for good judgment, sexual respect and communicative sexuality. That, if Kobe were not so marketable in other ways, this would be a cloud hanging over him for a long, long time. All right, back to basketball from here for me... EDIT: Oooh, guess that wasn't so quick... my apologies!! Posted by MsLithium21

I agree with much of your post, but who knows what the false report rate is? Inmates have sat in jail for decades before being exonerated.I don`t know where the statitic you gave comes from ,but it can only be a guesstimate. It probably reflects accusations PROVED to be false, since the actual number of false accusations is essentially unknowable except by the parties involved.

Marketing and TV are what makes Bryant such a huge player in the eyes of the public. That's always been the case for athletes. But in the modern age, there's just so much hype around players. At least Bryant has won championships. Unlike the Lebrons and Anthony's of the NBA. Bryant is one of the better players in NBA history, but not in the top ten. I know people rate him very high. But Shaq was the major reason for the first three titles.Posted by RUWorthy

Once again, you are right on darlin' .....and Gasol was a huge part of the other two....he should've been last year's Finals MVP in my opinion...Kobe is a great player...may end up the overall scorer by the time he is done...but that is because he is a gunner....take a look at his FG%....

Sometimes teams have enough talent to overcome the selfish play of key players. That is certainly the case where Kobe is concerned. If it was not for the advantage that the Laker front line gives the Lakers, Kobe would be just another Carmelo Anthony. ... on second thought, Carmelo never drove Shaq out of LA.

As far as egos are concerned, yes, every NBA player has an ego, but few are allowed to put personal glory ahead of team winning goals.

Magic was the greatest Laker player, followed by West. Kobe was lucky to have been drafted by the Lakers, and lucky that Shaq was aging at the time of their battle. He was also lucky that that Gasol came along.

While Kobe strives to be the greatest player in NBA history, the end result may be that he will be ranked as the most overrated player in NBA history.

Maybe, but I think the guys that are above Kobe, and Michael are guys that play to win, and don't play for individual glory as the primary goal. Guys like Russ, Bird, Magic, KG, and Pierce deserve a higher level than either Kobe or Jordan. Add to that, the age of super-star referee calls, from the time of Michael Jordan through last year, and the team-first players become the true heros of the NBA.Posted by MinnesotaCelticsFan

Dude are you kidding me?? Michael Jordan is the GREATEST player ever. I'm a Celtics fan and it's just no way those guys, especially KG and Pierce should even be MENTIONED in the same sentence as Jordan. WOW, talk about delusional. You can't sit there and tell me Jordan didn't play to win. He's probably the FIERCEST competitor in NBA history. Jordan would grill his teammates if they didn't show up to play.

As for the Kobe rape allegations, I truly believe he didn't rape that girl. That girl was STARSTRUCK, went to his room and gave it up with consent. I wouldn't believe ANY chick that had semen from 3 different men in her undergarments. Like one poster said, there are MANY innocent men in prison because of false rape charges.

My personal theory is, I think she wanted a long term relationship with Kobe and when it was obvious that he just wanted a one nighter, she pulled the rape card. "Let me get this RICH athlete for everything he's got, and destroy his marriage." I think she was a woman scorned, or she wanted to set him up from the start.

I think most posters that bring up the rape charges just want something to DEMONIZE Kobe with, because they know he will go down as one of the greats.

First of all, Mslithium21, that was an exceptionally written post. Not being a woman, if the fears that you mentioned so eloguently are as you spoke, then that is a horrible way to have to go through life, but appears to be justified.

What's amazing to me is that although I have been with quite a few women in my lifetime, I'm old, lol, I could never fathom forcing anyone to do anything with me. I can't imagine that there could be any satisfaction in having to fight with someone for sex.

I wish that humanity could comprehend the harshness of this crime and figure out a way to allow the victims, both male and female, to be able to come forward and get justice without losing so much.

Again, thank you for the post and some understanding.

Now, back to basketball. Unless people have ever played sports at the professional level, I don't think that they understand how the body is affected. Sure, there are some players that kind of go through the motions, maybe are even stars, but they manage to avoid injury during their careers. But, for the majority of these players, they make their bodies do things that they weren't designed to do.

IF we were made to jump high, we wouldn't have such weak joints in our knees. If we were made to be hit by 350 ld athletes, we would have been given some built in armor. None of this happened, so a professional athlete is an amazing thing.

I got to play a little hockey on that level adn never realized the impact it would have and this was after growing up playing competitively. Once you get to a level where everyone is as good, almost as good or even better than you, everything get magnified.

To see what Kobe has done with bad wheels is amazing. To watch Shaq now versus Shaq 10 or 12 yrs ago, is amazing. He can still do so much but the slightest bad landing, or badly timed bump and he is gone. He spent his entire career being slammed around or slamming people around and it, not age has finally caught up with him.

The great players have been battered even more than the lesser ones, but the results are the same. Over time your body just can't take it anymore. People like Jordan, Bird, Mchale and many others finally just said, "I can still do this, but I don't like how my body feels when I'm done", and they left. Does that make them any less of a star? Absolutely not. But it does show that some players are more concerned about their lives after pro sports than others and that's what Kobe is dealing with. So, as much as I hate him....for being a Laker, his continued highlite reel performances deserve to be honored and not panned.

I feel that way about anyone that has made the decision that they are going to deal with the pain and anguish that they know they will have after they are done playing, but for now they give it all they can.

Btw, I still think that we will see Celts - Lakers in the finals!!

Just my thoughts and again, thank you for the eye opening comments about the life in a woman's skin.

I live in Southern California and have been a Lakers fan long before Kobe joined the team. I've watched maybe 80% of all of the games he's EVER played in. What I want to say about Kobe Bryant comes from an experience of watching his game for so long both on television and in person. As unbiased as I can be I will say that yes he can be selfish, he seems to be complaining more lately about not getting a call almost every time he drives to the basket, he doesn't do well when he's being interviewed because of his cockiness - remember last year during the finals how he kept pretending that the Lakers playing the Celtics didn't matter a bit to him when all along it did? I could go on about things I as a fan don't like about Kobe's immaturity, etc. etc. and how I believe he can be very annoying. But despite his huge shortcomings, most of those issues are more about his character than his basketball talent. Even though his shooting is not as good as Michael Jordon and even though he at times takes bad shots when he should be passing, there is no other player I would want on my team because of what he is able to do during pressure situations. I watched a lot of Michael Jordon including all of the Bulls playoff games when he won his champsionship. I don't think there will ever be another Michael Jordon. In my opinion, he is the greatest ever. That said, I also believe Kobe Bryant is the closest thing to his Airness as a shooting guard. I have seen so many games where Kobe has done the unthinkable. Some of his individual achievements are literally untouchable - I mean think about it? Will anyone in our modern game ever score more than 81 points? Can LeBron score 50 or more points 4 games in a row? Can he score 50 or more in only 3 quarters of play? Kobe has done things guys will never accomplish - EVER! And he's quite possibly might be on his way to winning his 6th NBA Championship!

Is Kobe a cocky little idiot at times? Yes. And if he annoys me at times (a diehard Kobe fan) I can only imagine how much he must annoy the rest of the league. He is one of those guys fans and players alike love to hate - but to the rest of us, there is no one we'd rather have on our team than Kobe - warts and all.